Packaging apparatus



W. V. DERBY.

PACKAGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11, 1919.

Patented June 6, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

I; 71426 ay w W. V. DERBY. PACKAGING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11. I9I9.

1,418,631. PatentedJune 6-, 1922.

s S HEETSISHEET 2 W. V. DERBY.

PACKAGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11, 1919 UNI ED v STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM V. DERBY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE CROWN- CORK AND SEAL COMPANY OF BALTIMORE CITY, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

PACKAGING APPARATU S,

, To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM V. DERBY,

a citizen' of the United States, residing at Baltimore, and State of Maryland, have in- 6 vented certain new and useful Improvements in Packaging Apparatus, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to packaging apparatus and particularly to bottle feeding mechanism of the type in which bottles are fed into thee'mbraoe of pockets which center the bottles for the packaging operation.

It is the principle object of the invention to provide bottle feeding mechanism such that bottles may be positioned for the packaging operation with ahigher degree'of certainty than hasheretofore been possible and with a minimum amount of breakage and a minimum agitation of the bottles.

With this general object and other objects and advantages obvious to those. skilled in the art in View, the invention consists in the features, details of construction and combinations which will be first described in'connection with the accompanying drawings and then more particularly pointed out.

In the drawings-- Figure 1 is a top plan view, with parts in section, of a bottle feeding mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the broken line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a similar view'taken on the line 33 of Fig.2,

Figure 4' is a similar view, taken on' the 'line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a similar view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Figure 6-is a View, in end elevation, taken in the direction of the arrow 6 in Fig. 4:.

The feeding mechanism illustrated is designed for use with packaging apparatus of the type in which bottles are positioned one after another beneath a single packaging mechanism, although it will be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to such type of apparatus. Referring to the drawings'in the embodiment shown as an exa1nple,'beneath the packaging mechanism, such as a capping head (conventionallyillustrated at 9) is a stationary supporting table.

I 10. Rotating above this table is abottle centering spider 11 having a plurality of Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 119 6, 1922. Application filed December 11, 1919. Serial No. 344,255. I

spaced bottle receiving pocket-s 12. The spider 11 is mounted on a vertical shaft 13 by means of dowels 14 on a collar on the shaft. Means is provided for rotati spider shaft 13 for example, with an intermittent -movement. Although capable of various constructions, in the present embodiment, on the lower end of shaft 13, a ratchet the 15, having equally spaced notches, is mounted by means of a friction oone 16 and friction collar 17. The latter members are held tight. by means of a nut 17 on the top end of the shaft. By loosening this fiut, the frictioncone and collar are released so that the,

with a bevel gear 29 which meshes with a bevel pinion 30 on a shaft 31. This shaft is driven, i-n'turn.-by timinggears 32 and 33 from a main drive shaft 34 to which power may be applied in any suitable manner. In complete packaging apparatus, the shaft 31 will preferably have such connection -with the capping head that there will be proper synchronism between the head and the bottle centering spider.

Through the medium of the mechanism described, the spider 11 is given an intermittent rotary movement at timed intervals. To equalize this angular movement of thev spider, means is provided for locking the ratchet at the end of a given stroke. To this end, in the present embodiment, there is provided a locking pawl 35, pressed toward the ratchet by a spring 36. As the. I

ratchet makes its forward stroke, the pawl. 35 'drops intoa 'notch tozlock-the-ratchet against further movement. To dislodge the locking pawl to free the ratchet for its next forward stroke, the carrier 19 carries a cam plate 37 which dislodges' pawl, 35 on the back stroke of the carrier.

Means-is provided for transporting the b bottles from a, point of delivery toward the spider 11. As will hereinafter be more fully explained, the bottles during this trans- 45 .4 moved into such position by the advance of this movement placing them where they may be positioned and spaced for accurate feeding into the embrace of the spider" pockets.

Although the transportation meansis ca a-- ble of various constructions, in the embodiment illustrated, flush with the supporting table 10 is a rotary table 40,- Thls table is driven in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1)

by means ofashaft 4:1 to which it is secured and which is journaled in suitable bear ings carried by the frame 42. On shaft 4:1

is a worm wheel d3 meshing with a similar gear 44 on a shaft 45 which is driven from tlge main drive shaft 34 ,by spiral gears a 48.

hottles are delivered to the rotary table 40 in any suitable manner, and in indiscriminate arrangement. 'As they. are carried around toward the spider, they are guided in a propenpath, in the exemplification illustrated, by an outer guide member extending about a portion of the edge of thetable, and an inner and concentric guide member 52. The outer guide is carried by brackets 51 and the innerfguide by a bracket 53. its appears in Fig. '1, both guide members terminate in, straight portions for directing the bottles from the rotary table onto the stationary table .10. I There is provided means for positioning the bottles presented as just described, in a given position and means dependent on the presence of a bottle in such position, for

moving the bottleinto the embrace of a spi- -der pocket. This may be accomplished, for

' example, by an abutment into contact with which the bottles are moved, for positioning the same, and a normally inoperative angularly movable bottle sweeper \which is ren-' dered operative by the movenient or a bottle into engagement with the abutment; Although variable withina wide range, the bottle sweeper may be operable onlywhen in a given angular osition and itmay be a bottle into the position referred to. lln

- the embodiment here shown as an example, there is provided a bottlepositioning device in the form of an abutment 55 which is located, as appears in Fig. 1, transverse the path of the advancing bottles. Each bottle an angularl re moved forward by the rotating table. is

brou'g'htinto engagement with the abutment 55 and is thus located in a given position for.

being fed to the centering pockets. The

bottlepositioned by the abutment is moved into the embrace of one of the pockets by movable bottle sweeper. In the exempli cation here illustrated, there is provided a double decked rotary bottle sweeper 56 having a plurality of bottle engaging arms 57 01? the reverse curve form shown in Fig. 1, the twosweeper plates passing, respectively,over and under the abutnotches 61 eiual to the number of sweeper arms 57. ooperating with the ratchet notchesis a driving pawl 62 pinned to an oscillating carrier 63, the pawl being held to its duty by a spring 62'. As hereinafter described, during the operation of the machine, the pawl has a reciprocating stroke tending to operate the ratchet. Movement of the ratchet takes place, however, only when the latter is in a given, angular rela- 1 tion with thepawland it is laced in such relation by the movement 0 a bottle into the given position above referred to. It

will be seen that the ratchet can bef'driven forward only when one of the notches is within reach of the stroke. Should the ratchet be positioned, as

pawl on its driving I in Fig.1, with a notch just out ot reach, of p the pawl, the'pawl will make its strokewithout driving the uratchet.

The parts are so arranged that whenfa ratchet'notch is in operative relation with thepawl, there is no sweeper arm between the abutment and the advancing bottle, and whena'notch is-out of reach of the pawhas in Fig 1, the corresponding sweeper arm is slightly in ad- Vance of the abutment, or, in other words,

between the abutment and the advancingbottles. In order that the ratchet notch may be'placed within reach of the pawl, the ratchet must be given a slight angular movement. This movement in the present embodiment, is caused by the advance of a "bottle into contact with the abutment." It Willbe seen from Fig. 1, that a bottle, in

i-moving, up against the abutment, pushes ahead efit the arm of'the freely. movable sweeper. moves the ratchet 60 sufliciently to bring a notch within reach of the drive pawl. Thus,

This movement of the sweeper 1 the bottle sweeper operation depends'on the 'priovper positioning of a bottle to be fed.

eans is provided for operating the drive pawl in synchronisrn with the movement of the bottle receiving pockets of the spider. Although capable of various constructions, as shown, the oscillating pawl carrier 63 is 1' pinned to a link 6t connected to'a crank 583111 -"65 on the shaft 23. *As'the crank arm 65 which drives the sweeper and the crank arm 22 which drives the-spider are .shaft, the spider and sweeper are rotated in prlovper .synchronism. eans is provided for positioning the sweeper ratchet in the non-operative relation with the pawl abovedescribed, that is to say, with a notch out of reach of the the latter makes its back stroke, the cam 67 dislodges the pawl 66, as appears in Fig. 4, the cam being designed to hold the pawl away from the ratchet until the pawl completes its next stroke and the ratchet is ready to be again locked;

In the operation of the parts thus far described, assuming the parts to be in the position of Fig. 1 with a ratchet notch 61 out of reach of the pawl 62, one of the sweeper arms will be slightly in advance ofthe abutment. Rotation of the main drive shaft causes a continuous rotation of table 40, an intermittent rotation of the centering spider and a reciprocation of the pawl 62. Bottles being fed to the rotary table 40 are carried,

indiscriminately spaced, and guided in a proper path, toward the abutment. As long as no bottle is present in feeding position adjacent the abutment, the sweeper remains inoperative because the pawl 62 cannot reach the notch of the ratchet 60. When, however, a bottle moves into engagement with the abutment, this movement causes angular'displacement of the sweeper suflicient to place the ratchet notch within reach of the pawl. On the pawls next stroke, therefore, the pawl drives'the ratchet, thus rotating the sweeper which moves the positioned bottle into the embrace of a spider pocket. At the end of the feeding stroke of the 'sweeperfthe positioning pawl 66 drops into a ratchet notch, so as to stop the ratchet in its non operative position with the next arm ready to be moved by an approaching bottle. On the return stroke of the pawlcarrier' 63,- the cam 67 dislodges the positioning pawl-66 to leave the sweeper freely movable as originally. In the resent embodiment, the parts are so related that the spider is stationary during the movement of the sweeper and starts forward. at substantially the instant a bottle is placed in one of the pockets by the sweeper, although other arrangements are possible, In any event, due to the construction before described, the movements of sweeper and spider are properly timed, and

the sweeper operates 0 y when a bottle is in a proper position to be fed. As a result,

vthe feeding of the bottles to the .pocketsi's accurate and withlittle or no agitation.

Means is provided for damping the 'move- "ment of the feeding bottles." To this end, in

thepresent embodiment, located in the path of the bottles is a comparatively stifl leaf spring. 70 carried in the end of guide memsteadying the bottles being fed. As here shown, as an example, formed integral with the abutment 55 is a guiding and steadying member 71 located substantially tangential to the centering bottles. abutment and the member 71 may have their positions adjusted, the arm 72 on which they are carried is slotted, as appears in Fig. 1. The slot rides on a pin 73, having a lock nut 74. By loosening the latter, the arm 72 may1 be shifted to adjust the abutment and 1 e. It will be seen that after a bottle has been fedto one of the spider pockets, subsequent rotation of the spider carries the bottle around to packaging position beneath the head 9, as shown by the bottle 75. There is provided means for centering and holding the bottles in the pockets in this packaging In orderthat the position. This may be accomplished, for

example, by a yielding device for pressing the bottles toward the back of the pockets. Although capable of various constructions, in the form shown, located tangential to the bottles when in packaging position, is a centering and holding guide .76 carried on theend of a pin 77 which is slidable in a sleeve 78 adjustably mounted in a bracket 79. The pin 77 is normallv pressed toward the spider by a spring 77 the outward movement being. limited by collar 80. The guide member 76 and the. pin are prevented from turning by sliding pins 81.

The comparatively slight pressure of spring 77 acting through guide member 76.- serves to center the bottle and holdit securely in packaging position. In case bottles are presented that are slightly larger than normal, this is compensated for by the yielding of the guide member against its spring. i

- To remove the bottles following the operation of the packaging mechanism, various I suitable means may be employed. As here illustrated, flush with the stationary table 10 is a second rotary table 83. This table is mounted on a shaft 84*rotated by means of a worm gear 85 meshing with a worm 86 on shaft 45 Located above the table are'two guide members 87 and 88. As the succesguides. These guides terminate in straight portions. which direct the bottles vfrom the rotary table onto the stationary table 10 again, at a point where they maybe removed. The table 83 rotates at such speed that a bottle taken thereby is removed from the reach of the next bottle delivered by the spider.

It is to be understood that the term bot tles is used in its comprehensive sense to include any suitable receptacle.

What is claimed is: a

1. In a packaging apparatus, and in combination, a bottle centering spider having a plurality of bottle receiving pockets, means for rotating said spider, a bottle sweeper for feeding the. bottles into saidpockets, and means operating in synchronism with said spider-rotating means and tending to oper ate said sweeper to feed a bottle, the'sweeper being operated thereby only when in given relation with said operating means and being placed in such relation by the movement of a bottle into a position to be fed.

2. In a packaging apparatus, and in combination, a bottle centering spider having a plurality of bottle receiving pockets, means for rotating said spider, a conveyor means for conveying bottles toward said spider, an abutment in the path of the conveyed bottles, a bottle sweeper for feeding the bottles into said pockets, and means operating in synchronism with said spider-rotating means and tending to operate said sweeperto feed a bottle, the sweeper being operated thereby only when in given relation with said'operating means and being placed in said relation by the movement of a bottle into engagement with said abutment 3. In a packaging apparatus, and in combination, a bottle centering spider having a plurality of bottle receiving pockets, means for rotating said spider, a. bottle sweeper for feeding the bottles into said nockets,and means operating in synchronism withsaid spider-rotating means and tending topperate said sweeper to feed a bottle, the sweeper being operated thereby only when in'given relation with said operating means and.ar-' ranged to be in such given relation when a bottle is in position to be 'fed.

4. In a packaging apparatus, and in combination, a bottle centering'spider having a plurality of bottle receiving pockets, means for giving the spider an intermittent rotation, a freely 'rotatablesweeper for feeding bottles into-the embrace of said pockets, and means tending to rotate the sweeper and operative only when said sweeper is in a given angular position. i 4

5. In a packaging apparatus, and in combination, a bottle centering spider having a plurality ,of bottle receiving pockets, means for giving the spider an intermittent rota-1 tion, a freely rotatable sweeper for feeding bottles into the embrace ofisaid pockets,

eaten means tending to rotate said sweeper, and

operative only when the sweeper is in a given angular position, and means whereby the movement of a bottle into proper position to beted causes said sweeper to take for giving the spider an intermittent rota-' tion, a freely rotatable sweeper for feeding bottles into the embrace of said pockets,

means for rotating said sweeper when the latter is in a, given angular position, means for positioning the sweeper 1n non-operative position, and an abutment towardwhich the bottles to be fed are moved, the movement.

of a bottle into engagement with said 'abutmerit serving to move the sweeper into said given positionto render the rotating means operative.

7. In a packaging, apparatus, and in combination, a bottle centering spider having a plurality or bottle receiving pockets, means for giving thespider an intermittent rotation, an abutment toward whichbottles to be fed are moved, a rotary sweeper having a plurality ofbottle engaging arms for feed ing bottles into the embrace of saidpockets,

7 said sweeper being freely rotatable whereby.

it may be positioned with one of its arms. 7

between the abutment and'the advancing bottles, and means tending to rotate said sweeper, and operativeonly when none of advancing bottle 8. In a packaging apparatus, and in com bination, a. bottle centering spider having a plurality of bottle receiving pockets, means for giving, the spider an intermittent rotation, an abutment toward which bottles to be fed. are moved, a freely rotatable sweeper having a plurality of bottle engaging arms forfeeding the bottles into the embrace of said pockets, means tending to (rotate said slweeperpand operative ,only when none of said arms is between the abutment and the advancing bottles, and means for positioning the sweeper with one of its arms between the abutment and the advancing bottles.

said arms is' between the abutment and the 9. In apackaging apparatus, and incombination, afiiottle centering spider having a. plurality of bottle receiving pockets, means 7 plurality of bottle receiving pocket s, means for giving the spider intermittent equal angular movements, a positioning abutment,

means for transporting bottlestoward said abutment, a freely rotatable sweeper 'for feeding bottles positioned by said abutment into the embrace of said pockets, means operating in synchronism with the. movement of saidpockets tending to rotate said sweeper and being operative only when the sweeper has a given angular position, and means for causing the sweeper to take a non-operative position, the movement of a bottle into engagement, with said abutment causing the sweeper to move into said given position to render the rotating means operative.

' 11. In a packaging apparatus, and in combination, a bottle centering spider having a plurality of bottle receiving pockets, means for giving the spider an intermittent rotation, and abutment toward which bottles to be fed are moved, a rotary sweeper having a plurality of bottle engaging arms for-feeding bottles into the embrace of said pockets, a ratchet moving withsaid sweeper and hav-' ing a number of notches equal to the number of sweeper arms, a pawl for en aging said notches to rotate the ratchet an 'Ineans for reciprocating said pawl, said sweeper and ratchet being freely rotatable whereby theymay be positioned with one of said arms between the abutment and the advancing bottles and the corresponding ratchet notch'out 'of reach of said pawl, the movement of a bottle into engagement with the abutment serving to cause displacement of the sweeper to place a notch within reach of the pawl.

12. In a packaging apparatus, and in combination, a bottle centering spider having a lurality of bottle receiving pockets, means vmg the spider intermittent rotation,- an a utment toward which the bottles to be fed are movedi a freely rotatable sweeper having a plural ity of bottle engaging arms for feeding bottles into the embrace of said pockets, a ratchet having a number of notches means for positioning the ratchet with no notch within reach ofsaid pawl, the sweeper in this position of the'ratchet having an arm I between the abutment and the advancing b0t-'-' tles, the movement of a bottle into 'engagement with the abutment serving to move the sweeper to bring a ratchet notch within reach of the. awl." i 13. n a packaging apparatus and in combination,, a bottle centering spider having a a pawl so that the sweeper and rate bination, a bottle centering spider having a plurality of bottle receiving pockets, means for rotatin said spider, an abutment toward which bott es to be fed are moved, a freely rotatable sweeper having a plurality of bottle engaging arms for feeding bottles into said pockets, means tending to rotate said sweeper and operative only when none of said arms is between the abutment and the advancing bottles, means for stoppmg the sweeper, during its rotation, with one of its arms between the abutment and the advancing bottles, and means for removing said stopping means.

15. Ina packaging apparatus,.and in combination, a bottle centering spider having a plurality of bottle receiving pockets, means for rotating said spider, an abutment toward which bottles to be'fed are moved, a rotary sweeper having a plurality of bottle engaging arms for feeding bottles into', said poc ets, a ratchet moving with said sweeper and having a number of notchese ual to the number of sweeper arms; a paw for engaging said notches to rotate'the ratchet, means for reciprocating said pawl,'a stop pawl for positioning-thesweeper and ratchet and so that .one of the sweeper arms is between the abutment and the advancin bottles and the corresponding notch out o reach of the operating pawl, and means for removing said stop et may be moved into operative relation; with the 0 erating pawl by the movement of a bottle mtoi engagement with the abutment.

16. In a packaging apparatus and incombination, a bottle centering splder having a lurality of bottle receiving pockets, means or givin the spider an intermittent rota tion, an a utment toward which bottles to be fed are moved, a freely rotatable bottle sweeper for feeding bottles into said pockets,

means tending to rotate said sweeper andbperable only when the sweeper is in a given angular position, the sweeper being placed in such'positio i by'the movement. of a bottle into engagement withv said abutment, the spider rotating-means and the sweeper rotating means bemgso synchronized that the spider is stationary during the feeding movements of the sweepeni 17 In apackaging apparatus, and in com-ciao bination, a packaging mechanism, a bottle centering spider having a plurality of bottle receiving pockets. rneans for giving said spider an intermittent rotation, means for feeding bot les into said pockets, a bracket adjacent the paekaging'mechanism, a. springpressed pin slidable in said bracket, a bottle guideon said pin and substantially tangential to a bottle in packaging position, a plum rality of pins on said bottle guide and slidv manner ing'in said bracket anda head in saidfirst named pin for limiting the: movement of the 1 guide toward the spider.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. a

lVit-nesses 38. L. Lrmm, O. A. HAIJLVVIG.

winnmn v. DERBY. I 

